Bobby’s Seafood in Harahan is a seafood market that sells fresh and boiled seafood, as well as the traditional list of po’ boys (i.e. shrimp, oyster, catfish, roast beef, etc). The food is solid and the freshness of the seafood can’t be beat. It’s mostly a market, but there are a couple of tables.

Seither’s is tucked away in Harahan and you’ll know you’ve arrived when you a small, brightly colored building in a little parking lot of discarded oyster shells. While Jason Seither’s menu dazzles in its creativity, it also nails the basics, including crawfish — it’s some of the best in South Louisiana, spiced beautifully and served in a fish camp-esque setting that makes the meal that much more enjoyable. Crawfish are boiling every day right now, and at an affordable price.

Mukbang (the Korean word for “eating and broadcasting”) specializes in seafood plates with a Viet-Cajun spin, and offers options less common to the area, like lobsters, clams, and full-blown seafood towers. It also has the classics, including crawfish, right now, though throughout the season it’s wise to call ahead and double-check.

Call ahead to check inventory, price, and to place your order at this beloved Metairie seafood shop, and don’t forget cash. There are no tables here and the line can get long, but after 40 years of serving up some of the best boiled crawfish in town, staff helps it move fast. Check out the turtle soup in the case as well.

Deanie’s was the first seafood market to open its doors in the quaint fishing village of Bucktown over 40 years ago. Instead of a basket of bread upon sitting down, diners are given a little bowl of crawfish boil potatoes. In addition to spot-on, perfect boiled seafood, fried seafood is also killer. This is one of the few spots to enjoy your crawfish for dine-in, on Magazine, in Bucktown, or in the Quarter.

This Lakeside staple offers its seafood with a side of live entertainment every weekend, an ever-lively option for slurping down oysters, crunching into fried seafood, and peeling crawfish. They are currently offered at both Lakeview and Slidell locations, but the restaurant recommends calling ahead first to make sure they haven’t run out.  

Once a catering operation that gained a following with crawfish boils, Clesi’s is now an essential crawfish destination in Mid City. James Clesi runs the restaurant and the catering arm with his siblings, Carlo Clesi and Sonya Clesi, serving some of the best crawfish around — think citrus, pepper, and clove. As a bonus, you get to watch them boil.

Bevi Seafood started out in Metairie and gained such a following that the owners opened a second spot on Carrollton Avenue, now the only one, and it stays busy. The boiled and fried seafood is spot on, but it is obvious that a lot of attention is given to everything on the menu — even the fresh fruit frozen daiquiris.

Broadview is another great family-run Broad Street seafood market — this one calls itself the “Crawfish House of America.” Good prices and friendly service.

This grab-and-go, family-owned store on Broad is a hidden gem and one of the most pleasant spots to get boiled crawfish. The Nguyen family took over the ownership of North Broad Seafood back around 2007 and have been cooking up gumbo, po’ boys, red beans, and all varieties of boiled seafood items, known by the neighborhood as one of the best.

On those spring days when you just know everyone and their brother is looking to pick up crawfish, Mid City Seafood offers a less-crowded option where the line goes quickly. The crawfish (and other boiled seafood it serves) are well-spiced and reasonably priced.

Head down Elysian Fields into Gentilly to hit Zimmer’s on St. Anthony Avenue and you won’t be disappointed. A top crawfish destination, it’s also known for it’s hot sausage po’ boy.

This 24/7 diner-style restaurant is popular for po’ boys and platters of red beans and rice, baked chicken, mac and cheese, baked chicken, wings, and fried pork chops. The original Elysian Fields location is currently serving crawfish — don’t forget to try one of the many daiquiris to wash ‘em down.

Chris “Shaggy” Davis and team run Nola Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue on Franklin Avenue, serving endless boiled seafood options as well as top-notch barbecue sandwiches and platters. Diners will know if there’s hot crawfish on deck if the flag’s out, and the shop’s Instagram stays up to date with complete crawfish info — but generally, if it’s crawfish season this spot will have them.

They’ve been using the same boiled crawfish recipe since they opened the doors to J&J’s back in 1991 and that’s good — the crawfish is so popular that the spot has been known to sell out in under an hour. The focus is the food. Expect no frills or seating, but expect to be delighted.

If you’ve ever dreamt of all-you-can-eat seafood that is fresh, perfectly cooked, and flavorful, this is your spot. The terms of the special change daily, so be sure to call ahead or check the website (it only happens at dinner). As far as crawfish, this is the spot for those 20-pound orders — the price gets lower at five pounds, and again at 20.

Around (and loved) since the mid-1980s, the delightful Today’s Ketch offers fresh seafood to take home and prepare or the option to enjoy what they’re boiling on site. Solid deals on crawfish are available using the newly-created site, and the price goes down at 10 pounds.